Yongxing

Yongxing (永瑆), born on 22 March 1752 and deceased on 10 May 1823, was an imperial prince of the Qing Dynasty and the eleventh son of the Qianlong Emperor. His mother was Imperial Noble Consort Shujia, a member of the Jin clan originating from Korea.

Yongxing was recognized as one of the most talented among the Qianlong Emperor's sons. In his childhood, he maintained good relationships with the twelfth prince Yongji and the fifteenth prince Yongyan. He was renowned for his calligraphy skills, which led to commissions from his half-brother for creating plaques and stellas at the Yu Mausoleum of the Eastern Qing tombs. His first calligraphic work was titled "Lyrics of Peaceful Summer," dedicated to Empress Xiaoshengxian. The Empress Dowager was said to have expressed her appreciation for this work by establishing a library named Yijingzhai, after which Yongxing adopted his art name. He also authored a cycle of poems inspired by his studio, as well as other literary works including "Listening to the Rain" and "Series of Ancient Dragon."

Yongxing cultivated relationships with prominent artisans of the Qianlong era, such as Weng Fanggang, Liu Yong, and Tiebao (a member of the Donggo clan). These associations collectively earned the recognition of the "Four Schools of the Qianlong Era."

In 1789, Yongxing was granted the title Prince Cheng of the First Rank. In 1792, Minister of War Qinggui utilized a letter from Yongyan directed to Yongxing in his memorial, which led to Qinggui's punishment for disrespect. By 1799, Yongxing was appointed as a member of the Council of State and was entrusted with overseeing the Ministry of Revenue. During an attempted uprising in 1813—when the Eight Trigrams sought to storm the Forbidden City—he supported his nephew in suppressing the revolt. He was dismissed from his duties in 1819 due to offensive behavior. When the Jiaqing Emperor fell seriously ill in 1820 at the Chengde Mountain Resort, Yongxing was summoned back to Beijing. In 1822, he presented a set of sixteen ritual vessels to the imperial court. Yongxing died on 10 May 1823 and was posthumously titled Prince Chengzhe of the First Rank, with "Chengzhe" meaning "virtuous and sagacious."

Yongxing's marriage was to Lady Fuca, the daughter of Fuheng. He later took Duanyun, a palace maid, as a secondary consort following the example of Yongxuan, another prince who took a servant as a concubine. Records indicate that Princess Consort Fuca spent a monthly amount of 817 taels of silver in 1795, which was significantly higher than the Crown Princess's expenditure of 290 taels. In 1796, following the promotion of Lady Hitara, the expenditures of Yongxing’s consorts were reported to be lower than those of the imperial court.

His primary consort was from the Fuca clan and died in 1813. Their children included his first son, Mianqin, who held the title Prince Cheng of the Second Rank; Mianyi, titled Prince of the Third Rank; and several daughters. His secondary consorts belonged to the Tatara, Liu, and Lijiya clans, producing additional children, including sons who held various noble titles and daughters who married into other noble families.

Yongxing used several art names throughout his life, including Shaochan ("Little Cliff"), Jingquan ("Mirror-like water spring"), and Yijingzhai zhuren ("Master of the Studio of Promulgating Ascension").